http://www.utdmercury.com/media/paper691/news/2005/10/17/News/LockPicking.Club.Feels.Responsibility.Is.Key-1022034.shtml By Roman Starsky October 17, 2005 After he was denied permission to start a lock-picking club in high school, electrical engineering freshman Doug Farre decided to try his luck at UTD. "When I came to UTD, I toyed with the idea again and started talking to my roommates about it. They agreed that it was a good idea, we started collaborating, and things took off from there," Farre said. Within the first two weeks of the semester, Farre's club received official approval and sponsorship from Brian Berry, dean of social sciences. "I had convinced myself there was no way the university would let me have the club. I was prepared to fight for it, but when the time came and they told me it was approved, I was very excited," Farre said. Farre created an outline of club activities and set new member dues, which cover a personal lock-picking kit, at $20. "The name says it all. We will be picking locks. We hope to have competitions, guest speakers and learn a lot about bypassing locks," Farre said. Farre said many students expressed an interest in his organization, and the club currently boasts 30 lock pickers and 30 more potential members who have expressed interest in the club. "Lots of different people decided to join. Members have a love for technology and are not the type of people that are going to give up an opportunity to learn something as intriguing as lock picking. We also have many girl members," Farre said. Farre envisions the Lock Picking Club as doing more than just teaching members to pick locks. "I think that having the Lock Picking Club on campus will get people involved who aren't normally involved in other activities. It also gives people a chance to learn an extremely important skill and educates people so they aren't ignorant about their surroundings," Farre said. Despite Farre's enthusiasm, several Waterview Park residents have complained about the potential privacy risks associated with having an organized lock-picking group. "While I can see how the club may be a good thing, I can definitely see how this can be a security risk too," psychology freshman Mayra Artega said. Farre argues that only irresponsible lock pickers present a danger to residents' privacy. According to Farre, lock picking should be allowed if jujitsu, which teaches deadly combat techniques, is permissible. "I don't think there is anything to fear. Anyone can buy lock picks and use them for criminal purposes. All Lock Picking Club members are required to sign a code of ethics and will be made aware of the responsibilities that go along with being a member of our organization," Farre said. The club plans to hold its first meeting on Oct. 4 from 6-7 p.m., followed by another meeting on Oct. 5 from 7-8 for those unable to attend the first meeting. The location has not been determined. "The club will meet twice a week, so members will be able to attend at least one meeting. The meetings will be on Tuesdays from 6- 7 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 7- 8 p.m. bi-weekly," Farre said. Eventually, Farre said he hopes the Lock Picking Club will grow enough to offer services to UTD. "We hope to offer a discounted locksmithing service to the university for people locked out of their apartments and cars," Farre said. While previous lock-picking clubs at UTD failed long before they could offer an organized service to UTD students, Farre claims this club is going to be different. "I can guarantee that the new Lock Picking Club is going to be much bigger and better," Farre said. _________________________________________ InfoSec News v2.0 - Coming Soon! http://www.infosecnews.org
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.3 : Sun Oct 16 2005 - 21:19:20 PDT